BANDIT ARC ⑯ -I THOUGHT WAITING OBEDIENTLY WAS GOOD ENOUGH-

 

Tensei Shoujo no Rirekisho was written by Karasawa Kazuki and this chapter was translated by yAmi on www.yamitranslations.com

In order to have their own private meeting, Boss and Bashu-san move to a place where they the captured knights cannot hear them.
Seki-san the spirit user also requested the wind spirits to temporary prevent sounds from escaping too. Wind spirits are really convenient.

In the end, Bashu-san alone entered a dialogue with all the members of the bandits.
“Alek, sorry! I never imagined that it would so rowdy!”

“Don’t give me that. You are always so careless all the time.”

“Hahaha, give me a break, that was too much. By the way, why are you together with the divine messenger-sama?”

“By divine messenger, you mean Ryou? Did you actually take that baldy’s words seriously? There is no way she was born from a flower.”

“Hahaha! I don’t believe him to that extent! It’s just that, Professor Tagosaku was so pa.s.sionately in his speech that a portion of the knights and Ryuki-kun idolises him.”
Eww, how scary.
In addition, Bashu-san smiled as cheerfully as ever. He is a totally different type compared to boss. He looks a good person.

“Idolising……well, it was true it felt that way. ……We kidnapped Ryou from the Rainforest Merchant Earl, now she is living together with us.”

“You kidnapped her? And from a Merchant Earl no less, isn’t that a semi-aristocratic peerage……?”

“Don’t fret. She was going to be made the bride of that lolicon man too……well, anyways, we abducted her.”

“Anyways you say huh……”
Bashu-san sighed greatly upon hearing how far boss went.

“Good grief, Alek is really crazy. Whatever, that’s fine. Thanks to that, I get to meet the divine messenger and in this way, I am also able to peacefully have a discussion too.”
Bashu said this and that about needing the advice of a G.o.d and smiled lightly while also greeting the other bandits, “long time no see,” before springing back into a light-hearted conversation. 

Just when I thought this would just be an ordinary cla.s.s reunion, Boss dropped a bomb. “So, how are the preparations going? I managed to negotiate with the guys at the mines. It’s quiet on the aristocrats’ side and as a result, they are able to sell some to us through a back channel. Also, there are several villages with people that seem to wish to help us.”

Shortly after, Bashu-san’s cheerful expression became distorted and an apologetic aura drifted about.

“I see…… That is, Alek. My apologies but the matter that you have spoken to me about would have to take more time.”

“Ahh? What happened!?”

“Don’t raise your volume. Your shouts are terrifying. I’m sure you know but, now that we have Professor Tagosaku lending his aid, the productivity of the agricultural sector has gone up. The suffering and hunger of the people might end very soon. I wish to continue observing how it goes.”

“You want to continue watching! Arl rhd yhu ults! Hkxluobgz df pbss ghm, atx tgrpabgz zhhw atfflglw!? Lolg by pal tzubvdspduts bgwdxpur bx twotgvbgz xihhpasr, pal ihgtuvar mhdsw vhgpbgdl! Lwdvtpbhg mbss xpbss kl ulxpubvplw, hdu yullwhi wlgblw tgw hdu bwlhshzblx vhgptbglw! Wbwg’p rhd xtr patp stxp pbil?! Patp ml ibzap tx mlss kl sbolxphvn! Ml tul ghp cdxp tgr sboestock or pets; we are humans aren’t we!?”

Boss shouted at Bashu-san as though there was a parental feud between them. Bashu-san stuck out both his hand and tried to still his anger and calm him down.

“I know, I know. I understand your feelings. It’s just that this feels too impulsive. I do not deny that I have no confidence in this monarchy that discards people it deems as surplus to the pioneering settlements and so I had once thought that we have no other alternative but to do this……however, the situation has changed slightly. I am now a territorial lord. I have to prioritise the people in my fief ahead of everything else. There is no way I can endanger the people when there are perhaps, other paths left for survival.”
Just earlier, Bashu-san had been intimidated by boss’s shouting but he still took on a heavy posture like a obstinate father. From how I see it, any other arguments at this point would be useless.

“Haa,” boss gave a deep sigh and became silent. The other bandits wore a marveled expression. Even breathing became difficult.

“I can understand your thoughts. You observing how it goes is fine. We would just continue with our plans. It might take more time but……we will definitely do it.”
Towards boss’s determination, Bashu-san looked down and responded with, “I see.” And then, he nodded gently while saying, “Sorry”.

“Bashu……if you feel bad about it, there is one thing I like to ask of you.” As boss said, he placed his hand on my head. Bashu-san rose his head up again and met my eyes.

“I would like you to take the trouble to take care of this. I want her to go to school.”

Ehh!?
That, that means, in short, that I would be entrusted to Bashu-san!?

“Alek!? What are you saying!”

Kou-okaasan entered the conversation without a moment’s delay. I agree, what are you saying, boss.

“What is it, Kouki. Didn’t you say it too? That you want this kid to go to school too. Also, you said you don’t want her to get involved?”

“That is……true, but……”
Kou-okaasan and boss took alternate glances at me. I was taken aback and rendered speechless.

“If it is Bashu, then I can have a peace of mind. Even for Bashu, won’t it be his honour to take care of a divine messenger?”

“Ahh, well, personally, I feel grateful about it……but is it alright?” Bashu-san said while bringing his line of sight to the other bandit members who have started to become noisy.

“Boss, are you serious? Ryou is……already one of us……!”
Kuwamaru-aniki was also dazed.
Yeah that’s right, do reconsider, boss!


“……That way is better for her. She is an awesome fella’. Didn’t you see that earlier for yourself? She was able to compete with a mage. ……Furthermore, rather than being with us r.e.t.a.r.ds from now on, she would be better off with more decent people.”
Boss looked like he had ironed his resolve.

Nevertheless, I am against it. Could you not arbitrarily decide that for me! What do mean by more decent people!? Boss and the gang is more decent than the rest! I don’t want to be alone again! Please don’t leave me behind! Don’t go away!

I don’t want to be abandoned by anyone else……

“Ryou is fine with that too right?” Boss asked me like that.

There is no way I am fine with that! Obviously I am against it!
But if I said that, would he be shocked? Would I be hated?
In addition, even if I am hated, and my opinion of it might not be heard either, and then I would be, again……

While lost in thoughts, I had unknowingly faced downwards. Boss a.s.sumed that I looked downwards to nod and continued talking.

“That’s how it is. Please take care of her. I don’t want to stay here for too long. Since I am done talking to Bashu, we can leave now.”
Boss was about to walk away while facing his back at me. The rest of the bandits gazed at me while following behind boss.
Kou-okaasan looked at me intermittently while walking to boss.

It was the same again.
It was the same as when my parents sold me at Garigari village, I could feel my consciousness drifting far away again.
Is this reality? Just not long ago, I defeated a mage and didn’t you declare that I was the daughter of you all……?

How many more times do I have to go through this?
Once at Garigari village. In my previous life, tens of thousands of times.

In my previous life, when I see tal ktvn hy ir ftulgpx mah sltol pal ahdxl lbpalu yhu pal xtnl hy mhun hu illpbgz df mbpa palbu sholux, B mhdsw plss pali, “Ptnl vtul, xll rhd”. B mhdsw mtol ir atgwx, lolg pahdza B wh ghp nghm malg they would be back.
If I worked hard, I believed that their backs would turn back one day. I was always being a good kid, waiting for them to turn back once I became acknowledged by everyone.

If I do according to what boss says and go to school, even if I obtain stellar grades, I wonder when would Kou-okaasan turn back. What about boss? Would he turn to look back at me?

I don’t want this. I don’t want to be separated from them like this. Kou-okaasan, please be aware of my feelings! Boss, please look at me!

I hate it.

But, I could not say a word.
I mean, if I said something that selfish, if I became hated, I would be, I, but……

Would I be left behind again?

What should I do? Please tell me, someone, anyone.

“I don’t want that—! I want to be together! Didn’t you say I was your daughter?! You said it all with pride didn’t you! You liar! Liar! I want to go with everyone!” From somewhere, a sloppy voice overflowed and shouted as a proxy for my feelings.
Who was that? I thought and everyone stared at me. Boss and Kou-okaasan stopped and turn to look at me.
Everyone was staring at me excessively so I felt my own face. It was sticky with mucus and tears.
The voice earlier was mine. A voice that I did not think would emerge.

Soon, it became embarra.s.sing. Being childish like this, I wondered if everyone would hate me as I looked downwards.

I had it.

Suddenly, I was hugged by someone with a crazy strong force – a force welled up with emotions.
I lifted my face and saw Kou-okaasan.

“Sorry—. Ryou-chan! Sorry—,” she cried as she apologised.
And then, her line of sight moved to boss side.

“Alek, forgive me, but I am out of this. I want to be with Ryou-chan. Ryou-chan getting involved in this would be my fault.”

“……Kouki. I can understand your feelings but……Ryou getting involved would be my fault. I willfully kidnapped her, and willfully invested emotions too……”

“Wrong!”
Kou-okaasan shouted at boss like that, and continued, “For the child-loving Alek to have feelings for Ryou-chan is understandable. You knew that, that’s why you handed her to me then! I was in disagreement when you tried to do that. I vtgghp klsblol patp rhd mhdsw zh ph rhdu wltpa yhu rhdu bwltsx. B ti xpbss mbssbgz ph fdp whmg ir sbyl yhu Tsln kdp B ti wlybgbplsr mbss ghp tffuhol hy rhd wrbgz yhu t wulti patp itr hu itr ghp kl ultsbxlw. Palulyhul, by palul mlul pabgzx rhd atw ph fuhplvp, B mhgwlulw by rhd mhdsw vatgzl rhdu ibgwxlp. Ahmlolu, yhu pal atsy-ktnlw mhitg il, B mtx ghp lghdza ph kl xhilpabgz patp Tsln atw ph fuhplvp. Glolupalslxx, tgw patp’x mar, B atpl hpalu mhilg patp ibzap xpbvn hgph Tsln. Tp patp pbil, Urhu-chan came. If by any chance, if this child was around, Alek mindset might change. Therefore, with this baseless idea……I was the one who got Ryou-chan involved!”

“Kouki……”
Boss muttered her name and froze with silence.
I glanced at Kou-okaasan who was crying in tears as she complained to boss. Soon after, Kou-okaasan looked at me instead.

“Ryou-chan, I am sorry. I am sorry for being such an underhanded adult. But, right now, my feelings for you — that you are important — is the real deal. If you could forgive this kind of selfish male-woman, I want to continue being together with you as your mother.”

I said nothing but just nodded repeatedly and hugged Kou-okaasan. So that she would not go anywhere; to confirm that the Kou-okaasan that returned was not just some hallucination.

Kou-okaasan came back to me. She turned around, and came back for me.

Call this an excuse or whatever is fine. Even for me, at the start, I did not think of Kou-okaasan as anything special!
Right now, Kou-okaasan treats me as her daughter and wants to be together with me, and that I am fine just like that. She came back to me because of those words I said, just with those……!


Why have I been, up until now, been an obedient child and simply waited. That’s right, I should have said so right from the start. I had been pretending and was afraid that I would be disliked. Until now, I have yet to say about my feelings.

Right from the start, I had said honestly and plainly, that I was lonely and I want to stay with them more, that would have been better.

“I am as a female a blockhead, also as your comrades, I am a blockhead. But as the parent of this child, I would no longer do half-a.s.sed things. I am breaking out from our gang.” Kou-okaasan stood up while carrying onto me and said with a firm att.i.tude to boss.

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